For plinking in a rifle, I was considering the differences in expenses between reloading .223 and a straight-walled handgun cartridge like .357. Most of the .223 components are just a little more costly, but what about brass? Starline .223 cases are just a little more than .357, but I reload .357 indefinitely. Most of it should continue good service past 10 reloads, 20 reloads? Maybe more? But I read people that only reload .223 brass four, six, maybe seven times.
I don't currently reload a rifle or bottleneck cartridge, and the last time I did was 20-something years ago. What is it that shortens the brass life? I understand they stretch and then need to be trimmed, but is it the higher pressures for rifle cartridges like 55,000-65,000 psi vs 35,000 psi for handguns that makes the brass flow or is it the bottleneck design that has to keep getting trimmed for headspace that results in shorter brass life? If .223 was loaded to 35,000 psi would it just last and last or would it still end up getting trimmed down too thin and crack? If some big straight-walled magnum like .454 was loaded to 60,000psi, would the brass also have a short life or would it just keep on keeping on reload after reload?
I don't currently reload a rifle or bottleneck cartridge, and the last time I did was 20-something years ago. What is it that shortens the brass life? I understand they stretch and then need to be trimmed, but is it the higher pressures for rifle cartridges like 55,000-65,000 psi vs 35,000 psi for handguns that makes the brass flow or is it the bottleneck design that has to keep getting trimmed for headspace that results in shorter brass life? If .223 was loaded to 35,000 psi would it just last and last or would it still end up getting trimmed down too thin and crack? If some big straight-walled magnum like .454 was loaded to 60,000psi, would the brass also have a short life or would it just keep on keeping on reload after reload?